Methods and systems to reduce brain damage

Abstract

A method to improve neurologically-intact survival rates after cardiac arrest may include performing CPR on an individual in cardiac arrest while the individual is in a supine position in general alignment with a horizontal plane. The method may include elevating the individual's head, shoulders, and heart relative to the individual's lower body while the individual's lower body remains generally aligned with the horizontal plane to cause blood to actively drain venous blood from the brain to reduce intracranial pressure. The method may include performing chest compressions on the individual and actively decompressing the individual's chest while the individual's head, shoulders, and heart are elevated.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for performing CPR, the method comprising:
 elevating an individual's head, heart, and shoulders to an angle relative to horizontal while the individual's lower body remains substantially horizontal; 
 interfacing a compression surface of a chest compression device with the individual's chest; 
 repeatedly compressing the chest using the chest compression device by applying force that is uniformly distributed across the compression surface during each chest compression and while the head, heart, and shoulders are elevated such that the compression surface does not shift position on the chest while the heart, head, and shoulders are elevated and chest compressions are being performed; and 
 performing chest compressions on an individual while the individual is in a generally flat, supine position for about 15 to 180 seconds prior to the elevating the individual, wherein the individual's head, heart, and shoulders are elevated during the elevating the individual over a period of about 5 to 60 seconds such that a middle of the head is between 10 to 40 cm above a middle of the heart. 
 
     
     
       2. The method for performing CPR of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a level of elevation of the individual's head, heart, and shoulders is controlled based on data measured using at least one physiological sensor. 
 
     
     
       3. The method for performing CPR of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the physiological sensor comprises an end tidal CO 2  sensor. 
 
     
     
       4. The method for performing CPR of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 lowering the head, heart, and shoulders of the individual over a period of less than 10 seconds. 
 
     
     
       5. The method for performing CPR of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the force is uniformly distributed across an entire area of the compression surface. 
 
     
     
       6. The method for performing CPR of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the compression surface defines a shape that has symmetry about two orthogonal axes. 
 
     
     
       7. The method for performing CPR of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 actively decompressing the individual's chest between each chest compression. 
 
     
     
       8. The method for performing CPR of  claim 7 , wherein:
 actively decompressing the individual's chest comprises applying an upward force with the chest compression device; and 
 the upward force is uniformly distributed across the compression surface. 
 
     
     
       9. The method for performing CPR of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the uniform application of force is maintained over multiple chest compression cycles. 
 
     
     
       10. The method for performing CPR of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying, on a display panel of an elevation device on which the individual is positioned, one or more items of information selected from the group consisting of information related to when the chest compressions have been performed, whether any interruptions have occurred during the performance of chest compressions, an elevation position of the elevation device, a duration of CPR, a rate of elevation of the elevation device, a duration the elevation device has been at a given elevation position during performance of CPR, a rate of the chest compressions, a force of the chest compressions, a compression depth of the chest compressions, and physiological data of the individual. 
 
     
     
       11. The method for performing CPR of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, via one or more input devices of an elevation device on which the individual is positioned, an input from an operator to control one or more functions of one or both of the elevation device and an external device that is communicatively coupled with the elevation device. 
 
     
     
       12. The method for performing CPR of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending, via a communication interface of an elevation device on which the individual is positioned, data to one or more external devices that are communicatively coupled with the elevation device. 
 
     
     
       13. A method for performing CPR, the method comprising:
 performing chest compressions on an individual while the individual is in a generally flat, supine position; 
 interfacing a compression surface of a chest compression device with the individual's chest; 
 elevating the individual's heart, head, and shoulders relative to horizontal while the individual's lower body remains substantially horizontal; and 
 repeatedly compressing the chest using the chest compression device by applying force that is uniformly distributed across compression surface during each chest compression and while the head, heart, and shoulders are elevated such that the compression surface does not shift position on the chest while the heart, head, and shoulders are elevated and chest compressions are being performed; 
 wherein the performing chest compression on an individual while the individual is in a generally flat, supine position for about 15 to 180 seconds prior to the elevating the individual, wherein the individual's head, heart, and shoulders are elevated during the elevation of the individual over a period of about 5 to 60 seconds such that a middle of the head is between 10 to 40 cm above a middle of the heart. 
 
     
     
       14. The method for performing CPR of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the compression surface is interfaced with the individual's chest prior to performing chest compression on the individual while the individual is in the generally flat, supine position. 
 
     
     
       15. The method for performing CPR of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 regulating an intrathoracic pressure of the individual. 
 
     
     
       16. The method for performing CPR of  claim 13 , wherein:
 elevating the individual's heart, head, and shoulders comprises bending the individual at the individual's waist. 
 
     
     
       17. The method for performing CPR of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the chest compression device comprises an automated CPR device. 
 
     
     
       18. The method for performing CPR of  claim 13 , wherein:
 an angle between a midpoint of the heart and a midpoint of the head is between about 10 and 40 degrees when the individual's heart, head, and shoulders are elevated. 
 
     
     
       19. A method for performing CPR, the method comprising:
 elevating an individual's head, heart, and shoulders to an angle relative to horizontal while the individual's lower body remains substantially horizontal; 
 interfacing a compression surface of a chest compression device with the individual's chest; 
 positioning the compression surface at a position in alignment with a position of the individual's heart; 
 repeatedly compressing the chest using the chest compression device by applying force that is uniformly distributed across compression surface during each chest compression and while the head, heart, and shoulders are elevated such that the compression surface does not shift position on the chest while the heart, head, and shoulders are elevated and chest compressions are being performed, 
 and performing chest compression on an individual while the individual is in a generally flat, supine position for about 15 to 180 seconds prior to the elevating the individual, wherein the individual's head, heart, and shoulders are elevated during the elevating the individual over a period of about 5 to 60 seconds such that a middle of the head is between 10 to 40 cm above a middle of the heart. 
 
     
     
       20. The method for performing CPR of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the position of the heart is determined by a sensed signal or image.